Angelonia plant named ‘Adewhi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Angelonia  plant named ‘Adewhi’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Angelonia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ADEWHI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAngelonia plant, botanically known as Angelonia hybrida and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Adewhi’.

The new Angelonia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new compact and freely-flowering Angeloniaplants with attractive flower coloration.

The new Angelonia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor during the summer of 2006 in Dresden, Germany of two unnamedproprietary selections of Angelonia hybrida, not patented. The newAngelonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany during the summerof 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Angelonia plant by cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany has shown that theunique features of this new Angelonia plant are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Angelonia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Adewhi’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Adewhi’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofAngelonia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large white-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Angelonia differ from plants of the parent selectionsprimarily in plant and flowering habit as plants of the new Angeloniaare more freely branching and freely flowering than plants of the parentselections.

Plants of the new Angelonia can be compared to plants of Angeloniahybrida ‘Anwhitim’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,866. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of thenew Angelonia and ‘Anwhitim’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Angelonia were shorter and broader than        plants of ‘Anwhitim’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Angelonia were glossier than        leaves of plants of ‘Anwhitim’.    -   3. Plants of the new Angelonia flowered a few days later than        plants of ‘Anwhitim’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Angelonia plant, showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Angelonia plant. The photograph comprises a sideperspective view of a five-month old typical flowering plant of ‘Adewhi’grown in an outdoor nursery during the summer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe plantsgrown in Dresden, Germany during the spring and under commercialpractice in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse with daytemperatures averaging 20° C., night temperatures averaging 16° C. andlight levels ranging from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were pinchedtwice, two and five weeks after planting. Plants were five months oldwhen the description was taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Angelonia hybrida ‘Adewhi’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Angelonia hybrida, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Angelonia hybrida, not patented.-   Propagation    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at            20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact, upright and            outwardly spreading plant habit; broad inverted triangle;            freely branching habit; when pinched, about eight lateral            branches develop per plant; moderately vigorous growth            habit.        -   Plant height.—About 40 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 35 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Internode length: About 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm. Strength:            Moderately strong to strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:            Close to 144A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate; simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 2 cm to 10 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.5 cm to 2 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate to oblong.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; viscid.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,            close to 137C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 137B; venation, close to 145B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single flowers arranged in terminal            racemes; flowers face mostly outwardly; freely flowering            habit; dense inflorescences.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about            eleven weeks after planting; in the garden, flowering is            continuous from mid-May until frost in Central Europe.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about 20 days on the            plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 137A.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 15 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3.2 cm by 2.7 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 1 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl; petals fused at the base into a tubular throat.            Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Roughly            spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color:            When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155D.            When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 155D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate.            Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to            139A. Color, lower surface: Close to 139B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:            Outward to slightly upright, less than 90° from vertical.            Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: Close to 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            four. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to            155D. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 2 mm.            Anther color: Brownish to grey. Pollen amount: Moderate.            Pollen color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower:            One. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering.            Stigma color: Close to 155D. Style length: About 4 mm. Style            color: Close to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 177A.        -   Fruits.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:            Close to 177B.        -   Seeds.—Quantity per flower: About 30 to 50. Length: Less            than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Color: Light brown.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Angelonia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Angelonia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Angelonia have been observed    to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to 30° C.

1. A new and distinct Angelonia plant named ‘Adewhi’ as illustrated anddescribed.